Fruit cutter and pitter with rotary blades



NOV. 30, C 1 E JR I 2,455,072

FRUIT CUTTER AND PITTER WITH ROTARY BLADES Filed April 3, 1945 2 Shets- Shee'bl 2.0:\ {W l I 7.7 I

Inventor I J Curtis Lindle'y 3n h $4 WWW 3% Nov, so, 1948.

C. LINDLEY,'JR

FRUIT CUTTER AND BITTER WITH ROTARY BLADES 2 Sheet wheat 2' Filed. April 5, 1945- I Curtis Lindley I eon awn 5M1 Patented Nov. 30, 1948 EFHCE FRUIT CUTTER AND rigan Wil ROTARY BLADES Curtis Lindley, J12, Empire, Calif. App ion A ri 3 19 5, Seria 6,31

This invention relates to a machine for splitting and pitting fruit such as peaches, apricots, etc. for use in canning factories, hotels and other places where large quantities of such fruit is used.

Another object of the inven tion is to provide a machine having vertically operating circular blades and means for feeding the fruit there against.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fruit cutting machine using rotating circular blades, together with arrangement whereby the blades may be operated in varying relat on for cutting or slicing fruits of various kinds.

O r fea and ad ntages l becom more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my machine,

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a detail bottom plan view of a feed,

Figure 5 is an enlarged bottom plan view of a feed of a slightly different arrangement,

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of Figure 5,

Figure '7 is a vertical sectional View of a modilied form of feed,

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on line 88 of Figure '7,

Figure 9 is a diagrammatical view of a blade drive setup, I

Figure 10 is a similar View indicating a different drive setup,

Figure 11 is a detail elevation of a third driving means, and

Figure 12 is a like view illustrating the combination of a fixed blade and a rotating blade setup.

In the various views in the drawings and in the following specification like reference characters represent like parts and in which l5, indicates my fruit cutting machine which consists of a table I6, beneath which is a pair of rotatable axles I1 and I8, upon which are parallel aligning cutter blades l9 and 20, the cutting edges of which are very close to one another and beneath which is a chute 2|. Projecting down directly below an aperture in the table 16, is a feeding device 22 (or 22') which comprises a plurality of spring fingers 23 (or 23') inclining toward one another just above the said blades.

Fixed on said shafts l1 and I8, outwardly of the bearings 24 and 25, are pulleys 2B and 21,

2 Claims. (Cl. 146-73) upon w ich the refer b y -belts 2.3 nd 2.9. operata said belts bein 'd iven by Pul ys 3 and 3!. fixed on the shalt 32 dr en b a mot 33-. The bearin 1 a d Z an 5 nd 5' ar adi s abl adiate upon the ros ar 34 an 3.5. hich are Pr ide ith slo 35 and throu h hich th bol s .38 an 91 proi et to ermit of s d ad us men whereby th d s l9 and .29 be spac d a co ing o fru 1 @llt- .A d ligent con tions are re ui d or c tt n and pit in dili en fru it come e ss ry n p lsa nils to ch n e th el e ac ns o he cutter blades th refo e ig re 9 of theL r les illustrate he. 9 .1%?! blad s d 4t 99- erating on axles 42 and 43, upon which are pulleis 4 and 4.5 and a dri Pul ey 4 o e hi the belt 41 is trained, driving the said blades in the directions indicated by the arrows thereon.

In Figure 10 the drive belt 48, operating over the pulleys 49, 50 and 5|, drives the blade 52 in the direction shown by the arrow thereon, the pulley 50, being an idler on the shaft 53, does not necessarily drive said shaft or the blade '54, but may be rotated by the frictional action of fruit being cut by the blades 52 and 54.

In Figure 11, the driven shaft 55, has fixed thereon a pulley 56, and a gear 51. The belt 58, operating from the pulley 56, to the pulley 59, on shaft 60, drives the blade 6|, in the direction shown by the arrow on that blade. The gear 62, fixed on shaft 63, is provided with a pulley 6t,

over which the belt 65, is trained, said belt being also trained over pulley 65, on shaft 61, to which blade 68, is fixed, drives said blade in the direction shown by the arrow thereon.

In Figure 12 is shown still another set up in which the drive shaft 69, carries the fixed pulley 10, over which the belt H, operates and which.

belt drives the pulley 12, on shaft l3, to which the blade 14, is fixed and said blade is driven in the direction shown by the arrow thereon. In this case the blade 15, is carried by a shaft 76, and is not driven but is merely an idler if loose on said shaft, or it may be fixed thereto as occasion requires.

In Figure l of the drawings I show a modification of the fruit feeding device ll, having a funnel or hopper top portion 18, and a depending tubular portion 19, which tubular portion is split transversely as shown at and 80, whereby one of the cutter blades may operate directly through said slots 80 and 80' in order that the fruit may be pressed down through the feeder directly upon a cutter blade.

It is obvious that the blades as illustrated in splitting fruits with stones will in splitting the said fruit drag the stones therefrom. It is also obvious that the cutter blades may be provided with saw edges or fluted surfaces (not shown).

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the invention after considering the description in connection with the drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details and parts such as come within the purview of the invention claimed may be resorted to, in actual practice, if desired.

Having described my invention that which I belowsaid cutting blades terminating at its upper end adjacent the lower ends of said resilient claim to be new and desire to procure by Letters Patent is:

1. A fruit cutter and pitter comprising a table having a topformed with a fruit feeding aperture extending therethrough and supporting legs and cross bracing bars connected between said legs, rotatable aligned cutter blades adjustably supported on said bars for selectively varying the distance between said blades, means for rotating said blades, depending arcuate resilient fruit feeding fingers disposed radially about the aperture in said table top being secured to the under surface thereof, and a discharge chute interposed between and below said cutter blades terminating at its upper end adjacent the lower endsof said resilient feed fingers, whereby fruit fed through the feed aperture in the table top will be held by said fingers in position while cutting and the cut fruit passing immediately to and through said discharge chute. i 1 i a 2. A fruit cutter and pitter comprising a table feed fingers, whereby fruit fed through the feed aperture in the table top will be held by said fingers in position while being cut with the cut fruit passing immediately to and through said discharge chute and all of said mechanism being disposed below the working surface of said table top.

CURTIS LINDLEY, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 267,320 Betts Nov. 14, 1882 569,838 Rehm Oct. 20, 1896 1,075,547 "Caldwell Oct. 14, 1918 1,683,481 Pease Sept. 4, 1928 1,710,421 Jorgenson Apr. 23, 1929 2,288,756 Thompson July '7, 1942 2,370,129 Asbill, Jr., et a1. Feb. 27, 1945 

